The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1887-01-13

/ SlgnJ OF J0eSo neadleSS and Inn bless trunks
blackened and charred, some with the
half cooked entrai.s protruding, is horri
BILE one and beggars description. 1t would
turn stone man sick to gaze upon them
A number of bones and pieces of bodies
found later in the more destroyed portions
of the wreck indicate that several bodies
were entirely destroyed, and swell the
list of killed to sixteen. A number OF
persons were injured, and about half seri
ously. Among these were W. F. Gates,
baggagemaster,o of Newark. O., leg broken
Harry G. Forester, of Chicago. ILL.,, No.
1913 West Van Brren street, head cut and
arm dislocated. He is widower with
children.
The accident is the most fearful in loss
OF life which has happened in Ohio since
the great Astabula disaster. 1t is i'm
possible at present to tell Just who was to
blame. If the story of the freight train
men is believed, their engine was worth
less one and the railroad company is to
blame. 1t is, however said that the men
were running without orders, and it it he
so they are to blame. The matter will be
fully Investigated by the authorities.
The effect Of the collision can better be
imagined than described. The engines of
the trains reared into the air like a pair
of enraged living monsters, and then set
tied down upon the track. driven into
each other until. the cylinders touched
The force of the impact damned the bag
gage and mail cars into the tender of the
fast line, the express car into the baggage,
and the smoker into the express.
The passenger train was III charge of
Conductor Tom Haskell, Engineer Sam
Eastman and Fireman VIM. Frederick,
ard consisted of Engine No. 1875, mail
and baggage car, express, smoker, coach
and two sleepers. The freight train was
in charge of Conductor Fletcher, Engineer
Killer, and Fireman w. J. Cullison, and
consisted of Engine No 925, and sixteen
and half loaded and few empty gon-
dolas. The smoker contained from twelve
to fifteen passengers, some of whom were
Immigrants all of these persisted.
The only relic found of Joseph Postleth-
waite, the man who was killed with his two
sons, was half-melted medal found in the
wreck, which indicated he was a soldier in
the Union ranks in the late war. being a
member of Company A, Seventeenth Reg
iment. West Virginia VolunteerInfantry,
and drew pension of six dollars per
month for an injury to his eyes during the
service. Mrs. Postlethwaite is thirty-four
years of age. Her case is indeed pitia-
Bile one.
At the Mansion House we found Wn.
F. Smith, Of Waynesburg, Pa, who was a
passenger in the coach. He was sitting in
the front seat next to the smoker, ard
when the collision occurred was thrown
violently against the front door of the car.
but was not injured in the least. He said
he did not think there had been collision,
but that the train had run off the track
He helped the ladies in the car to sgather
up their wraps, and said when he went
back to his seat to get his hat he noticed
| tuC bLiOfAOA III hHtLCos GNU gov tsh AAAoi'
immigrant jump from the car through the
roof and wall of flames. He said no one
in the coach was hurt seriously. One man
had his hand burned slightly by falling
against the stove. After getting out of
the car he helped to unceup.e the two sleep
ers and run them down the track so they
| would not be burned. He then picked III
| Postlethwaite' little girl who was wan
dering around in the snow and carried her
to the depot al Republic.
Drs. Leahy, Wenner and Willard, of this
| city, were summoned and were carried to
| the scene of the disaster on a hand-car,
about o'clock, and assisted the local ply
sicians in dressing the wounds of the in
jured ones who were not past surgical
skill
A number of watches were found il the
wreck, and one OF them is inscribed as fol-
lows Open face, marked IL, w. Il Co. :
on barrel bridge. three-ounce case, seven;
jewel mounted, Springfield movement, case
No. 932, 900.
| Pierce, baggage-master. was burned to a
crisp. His home is at Wheeling, where q
bride of a few months awaits a husband
who will never return.
| A circumstance which leads to the belief
that still others persisted, was related by
George Westerhouse, of Pemberville, WOOD
county. He had been TO visit relatives
north of Republic. and was on his way t.
the village to take the morning train fol
home. When near tie town he met mar
| apparently Insane, who told him of the
mishap. and exclaimed: MY wife and
| twothildren burned up in the wreck. p
The man then started on, and Westerhoust
thought be must be a person out OF hi:
mind. 1t is more than probable that thu
|. man told the truth, He was probably al
emigrant, and his family perishing in til
| flames, unbalanced his mind, and he stal t
ed out. not knowing whittier he WENT
Some think that it was Postlethwaite ,wh
had by some means escaped, and, thinking
his family gone, had lost his reason. 1t
feared that Mrs. Postlethwaite viii los
her reason from the shock, and no wonder
being at one fell blow bereft of husband
sons and property, left alone in strang
country with three helpless babes, and OIL
: ly fifty cents in money.
The Coroner has taken charge OF the re
: mains. but will find it difficult to render
: verdict from the fact that as soon as the il
, jured passengers could be loaded On trai
: : they were taken by the railway officials
: Chicago Junction and sent on their way
: far as possible so as to be out of the VIZ
of giving evidence.
Q Dr. Orwig. Of Republic, worked hard
r the wreck, and even entered the burnl1
/. car and tried to extricate man who W
!. fast by one leg by amputating his leg, D
. was driven back by the flames.
\ All the express and mail matter aud
. of the baggage was entirely consumed
y the flames,
3 Hundreds Of people visited the scene
the wreck to-day and viewed the renal
!, Of the dead with horror. Nearly every O
: carried away with them some relic in
!. shape Of coins. melted and unmelted, M
:, :. ted gold and silver jewelry, keys, &c.
E TO large iron express boxes were motto
4 y t~xrfI q -,